Until we bleed
by concealedbeauty
Summary: 4 years after Mustafar. Padme Amidala survived childbirth and now roams across the galaxy in search of her children who were taken at birth when she is captured by Darth Vader. {AU}
1. Chapter 1

_**Title; Until we bleed**_

_**Chapter 1**_

**_Summary; 4 years after Mustafar. Padme Amidala survived childbirth and now roams across the galaxy in search of her children who were taken at birth when she is captured by Darth Vader. {AU} _**

**_Author note; This is a new story I thought of while in maths. I've never written anything like this, or even thought about it so this is a new thing for me to try. It may go horribly wrong or it may actually go quite well._**

_Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she blinked rapidly at the lights that were shining above her. She tried to move but pain shot through her whole body when she did. "Don't strain yourself, Senator." She heard a gentle voice say. She managed to turn her head and looked up at Obi-Wan who let out a soft sigh. "Thank the force you woke up. We were beginning to think you never would."_

_"Wh-Where am I?" She managed to ask. _

_"Don't worry, you're in a secure safe place." He told her quite vaguely. _

_"Where is Anakin? Is he alright?" She sucked in a breath and lifted her head up slightly, looking at her surroundings._

_"Anakin is ... Anakin is dead." _

_Right in that single moment, she felt her entire existence come to a grinding halt. Her tears began to fall from her eyes before she could even register what was going on. She closed her eyes and cried. Her heart felt like it had just been ripped out of her chest. Images of her husband swapped her mind. Good times, and the bad. She brought a hand up to her mouth and tired to muffle a sob. "Anakin..." She cried, her whole body shaking. He was gone. He was gone and she would never be able to see him again; to see his smile, hear his voice, feel his touch. She would have to raise her children by herself, they would grow up with out a father. Her hands immediately came down to her midsection. "Where are my babies?" She asked, shooting up and ignoring the pain from it. _

_No amount of pain could possibly measure up to the pain she felt in her heart. _

_"Please bring me my children, Obi-Wan," She begged. "Please." She needed to be with them. They were all she had left now. _

_Obi-Wan looked wary for a moment but nodded his head and walked out of the room. A few painful minutes later he and her long-time friend Bail Organa, came in, each of them holding a child in their arms. _

_"It is so good to see you awake, Padme." Bail said to her as he gently handed Padme Leia. _

_She only nodded faintly in response, all her attention focused on the small baby in front of her. "Luke..." She said, her eyes still fixed on Leia. "I want Luke." She lifted her gaze to look at Obi-Wan and he carefully handed her Luke after she had moved Leia to the side of her lap so she could hold both her children. She looked down at their faces and forced back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. _

_"Oh Ani..." She whispered looking down at the faces that her and her husband had created. _

_She brought a hand up to Luke's face and gently brushed her finger against his cheek. He reached for her hand and grabbed her finger. _

_She felt what ever remains of her heart break. _

_"Over come this, you must." Yoda spoke up, hovering into the room. _

_She turned to look at the Jedi Master sharply. "I'm sorry?" _

_"Over come this, you must." He repeated in the same tone as before. Everyone in the room, apart from Luke and Leia, looked at Padme. _

_"Master Jedi, you have no right to tell me what I must do." She told him, her anger building up by the second. "I do believe that I am aloud to grieve the loss of my husband." _

_"Husband?" Obi-Wan turned to looked at her, his eyes wide. "Anakin was your **husband**?!"  
_

_"Yes he was," She told him defensively._

_"How long were you married for?" Obi-Wan asked_

_"Since the beginning of the clone wars," She told him. "We got married when he took me back to Naboo." She looked back down at Luke and Leia and gazed at them for a while. _

_"Knew of our code you did," Yoda said, frowning. "Yet broke it, you still did." _

_"I know," She said, only half listening. "I don't regret anything." She told him as she brushed her fingers softly against her children's cheeks._

_She meant it. She would never regret anything about her marriage. _

_She stayed silent after this, staring down at the two small beings that were looking up at her. __"You should rest, Padme." Bail said, pushing past Yoda and Obi-Wan. "Here, let me take them and let you rest." She looked up at Bail and gave him a small smile as he gently picked up both Luke and Leia and took them out of the room, with Obi-Wan and Yoda quickly following him._

_Once she was alone, the smile that was on her lips faded and she leaned back and closed her eyes. _

**_"LIAR! You're with him! You brought him here to kill me!" _**

_Her eyes shot back open and she took a shaky breath. Her hand slowly reached up and her fingers glided across her neck. She couldn't believe he could do that to her. _

_That he _would_ do that to her._

_But she could not think of this now. She had her children to look after. She had to start a new life, somewhere far away where no one would know of her existence. She closed her eyes once more and thought of her Anakin and within minutes, she was fast asleep._

* * *

_"You can not do this!" A voice exclaimed, waking her up. She turned her head towards the door and frowned. "You can't! This is kidnap!" She soon realized the voice belonged to Bail. _

_"Senator Organa, you do not understand the situation we are now in." Obi-Wan told him. Padme frowned and wondered what he was talking about. _

_"Then explain to me, please."_

_She heard Obi-Wan sigh. "Anakin had turned to the dark side. He is-was- a Sith Lord. If his master finds out that he had offspring...well, I don't think I need to tell you what could happen." _

_"That is still no excuse for what you are about to do!" He exclaimed. "The best place for them is to be here with their mother."_

_"I fear she would not be able to cope. Not with Anakin gone." __Anger built up inside her and she bunched up her fist. _

_"What happened to him? I know he was killed, but by whom?" _

_"Me."_

_The numbness she felt since hearing of Anakin's death was suddenly replaced by an overwhelming feeling of anger. A scream escaped her trembling lips as the realisation hit her. Hard. Hot tears trickled down her face. Not in the sadness that she'd felt previous to this knowledge of her husbands death, but in an anger so strong it was clouding her common sense. She clenched the bedsheets as Bail came rushing in._

_"Padme, are you alright? We heard screaming." He said running up to her with Obi-Wan not far behind him. _

_"You!" She shouted, pointing a finger at Obi-Wan. "You killed him! You killed my husband!" _

_"Padme..." He began._

_"No!" She screamed, trying to stand up but failing. So she just stayed sat on her bed. "You killed my soul mate. Your brother!" _

_"He was not my brother, he had turned to the dark side. Do you not understand that?" He asked, his own voice rising. "Do you not understand that he died a Sith Lord, and not the Anakin Skywalker we loved!" _

_She took a deep breath and sent him a menacing stare. "You have no right to say his name. Not now." She said too calmly for Bail's and Obi-Wan taste. "Leave and never come here again. Do not come near myself or my children." She turned away from him, the mere sight of the man she had once called 'friend' making her sick to her stomach. "You are dead to me." She whispered harshly. _

_Nothing was said for what seemed like forever until Bail spoke up. "I think it is best that you leave, Master Jedi." She heard him let out a sigh and then his footsteps as he walked out of her room. __She finally let her tears pour down her cheeks as she let out a soft sob. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders and she rested her head back onto Bail's shoulder as she cried. _

_"Everything will be alright, Padme." He whispered into her hair. _

_She shook her head violently as she continued to sob. "No, Ana-Anakin is gone. Nothing will ever be alright." She felt as though her heart had been ripped out and all what remained was a gaping hole in her chest. She felt lost, only half a person. _

_"Try and rest, my dear," He said softly pulling away from her and gently pushing her down onto the bed. "It may help."_

_She wanted to scream at her friend and throw anything at his head. How will her sleeping help her when all she could see was her husbands face when she closed her eyes? How could she go on knowing that the only times she will truly be happy is in her sleep? But she kept quite, she knew that he was only trying to help her. She simply nodded and closed her eyes, images of Anakin flooded her mind as she tried to get back to sleep. _

* * *

_Her eyes suddenly snapped open and her eyes darted around the room wildly. She took a few shaky breaths and tucked a stray pieces of hair behind her ear. __Something was wrong. _

_Very wrong. _

_Her eyes shot over to the door and she suddenly realized what was wrong. _

_Her babies. _

_She threw the covers off her and held onto the table beside her bed as she tried to stand. She closed her eyes and tried not to focus on the pain that was now shooting though her entire body. She clenched her teeth and forced herself to open her eyes and continue to walk to the room where her children were resting. When she finally got there she couldn't help the small bitter sweet smile that made creeped upon her lips when she saw the bundles underneath the blankets. She took a few more painful quiet steps until she was now standing next to both of the baskets.  
_

_The smile slowly slipped off her face when she pulled the blanket away from Luke. He wasn't there. She began to violently shake and she felt the air being sucked out of her lungs. She turned to Leia's basket and pulled the blanket back to find that she wasn't there either. She froze on the spot, her heart felt as though it was going to break through her chest, all noise seemed to be amplified and she felt the room spin. They were gone. _

_Someone had taken them. _

_Her babies. _

_The two beings that mattered to her the most were now gone. _

_She felt her knees give way and she grabbed one of the baskets to steady herself but she lost grip and collapsed to the ground, the basket going with her. She didn't even try to get up. She didn't scream out from the pain that was shooting through her whole body. She lay there, tears streaming down her cheeks._

_She had nothing now. _

_No husband. _

_No children. _

_No reason to go on. _

_She heard Bail rushing in along with the med-droids but said nothing. She felt Bail press his hand against her cheek but she didn't respond. She simply lay on the floor, her pain and sorrow drowning her. She felt herself being lifted up by a pair of arms and she moved her eyes to see the chest of her friend. She left her arms to fall limp and said nothing as he carried her out of the twin's room and to her own suit. _

_"Padme," Bail all but whispered. She turned to face him and he brushed her hair away from her face. _

_"They're gone," She managed to whisper. "Luke...Leia...they're gone," _

_He didn't reply and his eyes widened slightly as he looked at her. A part of her screamed out, telling her that Bail knew something of this. No, he couldn't. He was her friend. He would never do something to hurt her so much. "Bail..." She whispered, her eyes filling with tears once more. "Please tell me you had no part in this," _

_"Padme, I swear to you, I didn't." He glanced down at the ground for a moment before looking back up at her. "But I know who may have."_

_"Who?" She breathed. _

_"Obi-Wan." _

**_Authors note 2; And this is where this chapter ends. Hoped you liked reading this, and if you could, please review and tell me what you thought. The more reviews this gets, the more likely I am to update this quicker. Thank you for reading :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

The raw, beating rain swept into her face as she strode down the street. She pulled her hood tighter in an attempt to shield herself from the rain, not with much success. She paused for a moment and looked at her surroundings to see if there was anywhere she could possibly take shelter until the weather let up. She squinted her eyes slightly and saw a cafe of some sorts not to far from where she was standing. She let out a soft sigh of relief and almost ran to to small building, wanting desperately to get out of the rain.

Once she entered the cafe she pulled her hood down and looked around. It was nothing special, just a simple, quaint cafe. She walked over to a table in the corner of the room and unclipped her cloak, needing to get it off since it was now soaked. She moved her hair away from her face and sat back a little, glad to finally be sat down. "What would you like, deary?" She looked up and saw an elderly woman standing next to her table, holding a small holo-notepad in her hands and wearing a gentle smile.

"I-I don't have any money on me right now, I just needed to get out of the rain..." She said quietly, slightly embarrassed that she had no money on her person.

"Oh, I see." The woman replied. "Well, how about I get you some hot caff on the house, you look frozen." She added with a sympathetic look.

"I couldn't, really," She protested, shaking her head. In truth, she was frozen and the sound of hot caff was extremely appealing to her but she simply wouldn't take pity off someone because she was poorer than most.

"Protesting will get you no where," She told her. "I'll just go and make some for you." She gave her one last gentle smile before walking away.

Padmé frowned slightly and stared at the elderly woman who was now attending to another customer. She reminded her scarcely of her mother back on Naboo. She looked like her a little, with the similar gentle brown eyes, calming smile, pleasant aura to her. Stop. _Right now. There's no point in thinking of her - or them - anymore. They all think your dead._ She reminded herself harshly.

She was dead. In a sense.

She was simply a ghost of who she used to be.

She may look like Padmé Amidala, former Senator of Naboo, but she was certainly not the petite woman who needed protection from all types of threats. At least not anymore...

"Here you are, dear," The elderly woman said walking over to her with a cup in her hand.

"Thank you," She smiled slightly at the woman and took the drink.

"If you need anything else, just give me a shout." She told her before walking away to attend to another customer.

She looked in the direction of the woman for no more than a moment before turning away and looking down at her caff, her mind spinning, as it usually did.

The sound of children's laughter made her head shot up and she looked toward the door to see two children enter with what she guessed were their parents. Her breath hitched and she watch them get picked up by each parent. They looked around the age of four, one a boy and the other a girl. She watched as the parents carried them to a table and began to laugh with them.

She tore her eyes away from the happy family and looked down at her caff. She felt envy bubble up inside her when she saw families like the one sitting not too far from her. It wasn't fair. She could now never have that chance of having a family again.

Hers was taken away from her by the one person she thought cared.

She glanced up at the family once more before she shot out of her seat. She needed to get away from this place, she needed to be alone. She grabbed her cloak from the back of her seat and quickly threw it on, not caring if it was still damp, and practically ran out of the cafe, completely ignoring the protests of the elderly woman. She didn't even notice that the rain was just as heavy as it was before, all thoughts were set on getting her home.

Once she got there she unclipped her cloak and carelessly threw it to the ground. "Are you here Drane?" She called wandering around the small house as she wiped the stray tears off her face. "Drane?" She repeated as she walked into her bedroom. When she got no reply she sighed and went to the fresher, she needed a shower.

She stripped down and stepped into the now steam filled shower. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she let the poured over her. She had found that a shower could always relax you and make you forget your troubles for a moment. Her eyes slid shut and she aloud herself to let go of the tears she had been holding in. She reach up and gently touched her japor snippet with her fingertips, slowly tracing the symbols. She smiled as she remembered when he gave this to her. It seemed like a lifetime ago now, and really, it was. She could still picture the small nine year old who thought of her as an angel so vividly in her mind.

Her eyes shot open and she suddenly let go of the necklace and reached up to turn the shower off. She stepped out of the shower off and quickly dried off before throwing on a nightgown and walking back into her bedroom. She walked over to the desk that was in the corner of the room and her eyes scanned over the map that was placed on top of it. She stared blankly at it, not being able to pull her eyes away from all the crosses that doted the map.

She had been to so many planets in the search for her children. So many systems. And still, after four years of searching she hadn't found them. Four years since she has seen their beautiful faces. She had never gotten to hear their first words, never gotten to see them crawl for the first time, walk for the first time, and it shattered her already broken heart into a million pieces. For, Obi-Wan did. He was the one who gotten to watch _her _babies grow for he past 4 years. He stole all those things from her._ He_ was the reason she now roamed the galaxy in search for them. He was who stole her babies while she was sleeping, and was now knowingly putting them in danger. He was one of the people she thought she could trust with her life, and he single handedly destroyed it within one day.

And she _hated _him for it.

She wanted him in chains for the amount of pain and suffering he has put her through since Mustafar.

One of her hands reached up and she began to trace her neck with her fingertips at the thought of what happened on that dreadful planet.

"Padme?" A voice called, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head and looked over to her bedroom door. She took a breath to calm herself before stepping out and walking back into the front room to fin the owner of the voice, Drane, sat on the couch with a data pad in his hand

"I thought you were in the shower," He said looking up from his data pad. "I called you before but I..." He paused for no more than a second as his eyes gazed over her. ..."guess you didn't hear me." He finished.

She shifted slightly and pushed her now wet hair away from her face. "Sorry, I was just...thinking," She murmured.

"Ah," He replied looking back down at his data pad. "You seem to be doing that a lot lately." He commented.

She sighed and sat down beside him. "I need to go," She told him. "They-they're not here, I know they're not."

"We've only been here for a month, Padmé," He said putting the data pad down and taking her small hand in his much larger one. "They might be here. We just have to look harder."

She shook her head and pulled her hand away from his. "They're not here." She told him, her voice raising as tears began to prick at her eyes. "I know they're not!"

"Padmé, calm down." He said pulling her closer.

"No!" She exclaimed shooting up off the couch. "Why can't I find them?" She cried. "Why can't I find my babies?" He said nothing in return and simply stood up and held her as she cried onto her shoulder. He wrapped his arms tightly around her.

A little while later her sobbing had ceased and she soon realized that he was just holding her. That he was a man and she was a woman and he was holding her like a man in love did, not like a friend would. She pressed her hands against his shoulders and pulled away to look at him. "I think I just need some rest. I'll start packing after I wake up." She told him quietly, feeling uncomfortable with the way he was now looking at her. She took a step away from him and gave him an uneasy smile. "Goodnight Drane."

He said nothing in return and simply gave her a small smile. The smile slipped off her face and she turned away to rush away to the comfort of her room. She fell onto her bed and pulled her pillow to her chest, like she did every night since her children were taken. "I love you, Luke and Leia," She said softly into the darkness, as she did every single night.

Her eyes slid shut and she let out a small breath. "I love you too, Anakin, always." She whispered, hoping somehow he would be able to hear her.

**AN; Thank you guys for the reviews and the favourites/follows, it means so much! **


	3. Chapter 3

_Have I missed anything? _She asked herself as she turned around and looked at the now bare room. The few things she owned were now stacked up in boxes on her - well, Drane's - ship, all she had to do now was pack her clothes and wait for Drane to come back. She looked down at the open suitcase that was sitting on her bed, and rummaged through it to see if she had missed anything important. She hadn't. All of her most important items were in the case, the few clothes she owned and the credits she had managed to make. Though now she was far more poorer than she was when she was a Senator, she still made it through and worked herself to the bone for enough credits to be able to fly from system to system.

A small giggle escaped her lips as she looked down at a dress that was spread out onto the bed. It wasn't that she disliked the dress, it was one of her favourites, but it was just so..._simple._ Something she never would have worn during her time as a Senator. She had always wore the most complicated and beautiful gowns, her hair was always in some elaborate do. She shook her head and folded the purple dress and placed it carefully into her case. "We're all set," A voice said from behind her.

She jumped slightly and turned around to see Drane standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. "I wish you wouldn't scare me like that," She said closing her case.

"Like what?" He laughed walking into the room and picking her case up from the bed. He took her hand and they both walked out of the apartment. Padme tried to ignore the fact that he was holding her hand and pulled it away slowly, hoping not to hurt his feelings. She stepped onto the ship and walked straight into the cockpit, shortly followed by Drane. "All set?" He asked as he prepared to take off. Padme nodded and strapped herself in. She stared blankly at the controls as Drane took off and soon went into hyperspace.

"Do you know where we're heading?" He asked leaning back and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Naboo," She whispered.

"Naboo? Don't you think that's a little risky?" He asked. "You know, with everyone thinking you de-"

"I'll hide my face," She said sharply, cutting him off. "No one will see me, I assure you."

"You've-You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" She said nothing in return and stared out of the window. "Padme?" She slowly turned to face him after a few moments of silence and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you suddenly want to go to Naboo?"

"I-I don't know," She admitted looking down at her lap. "Something is just screaming at me, telling me to go there." She lifted her gaze to see Drane looking at her with his eyebrows raised. "I don't care for what you think on the subject." She snapped suddenly, shooting out of her seat and walking out of the cockpit.

"Where are you going?" He called.

She didn't bother to reply. She didn't have the energy or the patience for Drane and his constant questioning. Gods, she was four years older than him. She didn't need him to tell her what to do or question everything she did. She was 31 years old for force sake! She threw herself on the bed, a sigh escaping her lips as her head hit the pillow. Her eyes slid shut and her mind wondered to more happier times as she fell into a easy sleep.

_"Mmm, Ani," She murmured waking up with a smile on her lips as her husband kissed her neck. She let out a small moan when he began to nip gently and she wrapped her arms loosely around his own neck. _

_"Good morning Mrs Skywalker," He whispered pulling away from her neck and looking down at her face before bending down and planting a soft kiss on her waiting lips._

_"Good morning," She whispered in return as she captured his lips in another kiss. His arms slid down and were now wrapped around her waist. Her hands were tangled in his golden locks as she smiled against his lips. "I love you."_

_"I love you," His breathed against her neck. "More than my own life." __She said nothing but moaned as he began to attack her neck once more. She lived for mornings like these. These were the times were they could both forget the troubles of the rest of the galaxy and simply get lost in one another. Right now there was no war, no Senate, no jedi, no rules that forbid them to be together. There was just her and him. She wished she could wake up in his arms every morning, and fall asleep in them every night. Sometimes she wanted to just run away from everything and everyone with him and live on some disant planet that no one would think of. Sometimes, all the time, she wanted to have the privilege of not hiding their love in the dark like it was some unnatural thing._

_He suddenly pulled away and stared down at her. She looked up at him with questioning eyes and froze when she saw his eyes. They were yellow. A feeling of dread crept up from the pit of her stomach and she opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She could do nothing other than stare up at the cold, blazing eyes that were upon her. She suddenly felt her larynx being crushed and tried to breathe, her eyes widening as air became a sudden and difficult commodity. Her eyes pleaded with him but he continued to glare at her. _

_"Ani..." She managed to whisper. Her eyes were burning with un shed tears and she was now clutching her throat with both hands. _

_"You betrayed me," He said in a low harsh voice that she had never heard him use before. __She tried to tell him that she had done nothing, that she loved him but couldn't. So she shook her head slightly, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks."Don't lie to me," His voice was even harder now, as was his stare. __"My love," He said mockingly. "My dearest, my beloved." He let go of the grip on her neck and she let out a gasp as air filled her lungs once more. Her hands slid down from her neck as he brought his hand up to trace the faint bruises that now covered her neck._

_"Ani... wh-why?" _

_"Why?" He repeated quietly, his eyes shining with sadness that she couldn't place. It was gone as quickly as it came. "You lied to me. You said you loved me-"_

_"I do," She cut in, reaching up to cup his face. _

_"You lie!" He bellowed pushing her hands roughly away from his face. "I know that you have been going behind my back with-" He paused and the pressure against her neck got harder. She winced and let out a sob. "Dear Obi-Wan." _

_Her eyes widened and suddenly they weren't in their bedroom on Coruscant. They were on Mustafar, he only a arms length away from her, she clutching her neck once more, fighting for air as she stared into the unforgiving eyes of her husband._

_"Padme!"_

"Padme!"

Her eyes snapped open and she shot up, gasping for air. Her eyes darted around the room and she was relived to see that she was in her small room on Drane's ship. She looked up at Drane, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. She flinched and pulled away from him sharply when she felt his and on her cheek. He let out a soft sigh and reached over again and wiped the tears that were on her cheeks. "You were screaming..." He said, looking at her with worried eyes.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. "Sorry," She whispered. "It was a nightmare..."

"Bad?" She nodded against her knees. "What was it about?" He asked smoothing her hair.

"An-Anakin..."

Drane froze and pulled away from her slightly. "Anakin." He repeated, his voice holding no emotion. She lifted her head to look at him with narrowed eyes. Drane never tried to hide how he felt about Padme's late husband, or how he felt about her. She usually ignored the off hand comments he made about Anakin, but she couldn't now. Not after that dream...

"You're in no place to judge him or his decisions," She said coldly.

He raised an eyebrow. "His decisions? Lets not forget what he did to you an-"

"Just stop." She snapped. "I don't need you to remind me of his mistakes. You didn't even know him so don't judge him." He stared at her for a few moments before shaking his head, and standing up to walking out of her room. Her eyes followed him and she looked down for a moment before resting her head against her knees once more. Her hand slipped up to her neck and her eyes slid shut as her fingertips slowly and carefully danced across her neck.

How could he do that to her? She had given herself to him. Mind, body and soul and yet he thought that she...she betrayed him. Gotten off with Obi-Wan behind his back. The mere thought of herself with another man other than Anakin made her feel ill. She had forgiven him a long time ago for what happened on Mustafar, but she would never forget it. She rubbed her eyes and threw her legs over the side of the bed and wandered into the fresher to take a long shower.

* * *

Before she knew it, Drane was landing the ship and calling for her. She looked up from her data pad as he came in, bags under his eyes. Her damned caring nature kicked in almost automatically and she practically jumped from the bed and to his side. "You haven't slept at all," It was more of a statement than a question. He shook his head and forced a smile.

"I'm alright," He reassured her. "You know I'm funny about falling asleep during flying."

"We were in hyperspace, I doubt much was going to happen."

"Padme, about what hap-"

"Forget it," She said waving her hand. "It never happened." She didn't want to continue to argue with Drane. He was all she had now, and she didn't want to lose him.

"Okay," He said scratching the back of his head. "Well we're here."

She nodded and stared at him for a moment, hoping he would get the hint. "I need to change..." She told him when he said nothing.

He suddenly turned red and blinked. "Oh yeah...sorry..." He mumbled walking out of the room as fast as his legs could. She shook her head and turned to pick up the case that was laying on the ground. She opened it and rummaged through it, looking for something to wear. She stopped in her tracks and stared down at a dress that she had thought that she had lost years ago. She felt herself smile as she brushed her fingertips against the soft pale blue fabric. It was a dress her mother had bought her when she went to Naboo with Anakin before the Clone Wars. She picked it up and looked at it intently. It was just as beautiful as it was back then. She walked over to the mirror in the corner and pressed it against her body, seeing how it looked. She smiled and pulled her robe over her head and quickly changed into it.

She walked out into the cockpit to find Drane sitting in his seat with his feet resting on the control panel. "Right, I'm going," She said collecting her cloak. His head shot up and he turned to face her.

"Going where?"

"Just out, I won't be long." She told him pulled her hood so her face could not be seen.

"I'm coming with you," He said standing up.

"No," She snapped, her eyes staring intently out of the window. "Please..." She heard him sigh and she wasted no time to get off the ship.

Once she was off, her eyes slid shut and she took a deep breath of fresh air. She smiled and began to walk out of the ship docks. She knew that they were in theed, so she pulled the hood tighter over her head. She couldn't risk anyone seeing her, especially here. She quickly walked down the streets, taking in everything she could. She soon wandered on to a familiar street, she stopped cold in her tracks as she looked at her parents house. A bitter sweet smile dancing across her lips as she stared up at the house she once called home. It hadn't changed at all. She desperately wanted to simply knock on the front door and wait until her mother opened the door. She would stand there and beg for their forgiveness, tell them that she was sorry for all the pain she had put them through but that she loved them. Without thinking she took a step forward, intending to do just that, until she stopped herself.

She cursed herself for being so stupid and she slowly began to back away from the house, her heart breaking a little with each step she took. She heard the door creak open and she rushed behind a wall to hide. "Hello?" The gentle voice of her sister called out. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she pictured Sola. A hand reached up and covered her mouth to muffle the sound of a soft sob. "Is anyone there?" Padme said nothing, she didn't even move a muscle. She stayed in her spot until she heard Sola sigh and close the door.

She let out her own sigh and moved out of the corner. She took one last look at the house before rushing away from the street, not even trying to hold back her tears.

* * *

"Milord, we have landed on the planet." Captain Piett told Vader, who was staring out of the veiwport. Vader said nothing for a few painful moments before turning to face the young captain.

"I will be going down to the planet myself," He informed him "You have the bridge, Piett." He said before storming off the bridge and down a corridor. Of all the places the scum could hide, he had chosen Naboo. A place he had sworn he would never return to. His fist clenched as he entered a shuttle that was taking him down to the surface. He closed his eyes behind his mask and fought the onslaught of memories that suddenly attacked him. Naboo had once been a place of peace for him, a beautiful place where he and his beloved didn't have to hide. _Padme..._ He never let himself think of his late wife, the guilt was simply to great.

The last time he had been to Naboo, it was to attend her funeral, out of sight of course. The amount of pain he had sensed from others had been staggering, but the pain of millions paled in comparison to his own pain. He was the reason she died. _He _killed her when he was meant to save her. He opened his eyes and blinked in an attempt to get rid of the haunting memories. _  
_

"Milord, we have reached the surface," A younger lieutenant said walking up to the Dark Lord.

He hadn't even realized how much time had pasted. Vader nodded and stood up, walking off the ship and to the place he loved and hated with a passion.

_**AN; I'm so sorry it too me so long to update this. Please review :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

She didn't even know why she was here. It wasn't her intention to even come here and cause herself more pain, but she was here, and instead of the pain she thought she might feel from being here after all these years she felt something close to peace. She brushed her fingers down the cold bed sheets and held back a small sob. The room, the whole house was just as she left it nearly five years ago. It was so quiet that it un nerved her greatly. It was never quiet when she was here, if 3PO and R2's arguing weren't echoing around the house then Anakin's laughter usually would. A bitter sweet smile stretched her lips as she remembered how _happy _he always was when he was here with her for their stolen days away from the rest of the galaxy.

_I wonder if any of my old dresses are still here... _She thought as she walked over to the wardrobe that was on the other side of the room. She gasped when she saw that they all were still here. She pulled out a particularly long purple gown. She recognised instantly as the dress she wore when their second honeymoon ended and her husband had to leave for Coruscant. She held it up to her body and stood in front of the mirror, waving the bottom of the dress and swaying around slightly with a smile on her lips.

Would anyone notice if she took this? Surely nobody even came up here any more to actually notice a single dress to go missing. She pressed her lips together and nodded to herself, folding the dress and putting it into the bag that she brought with her. She sat on the bed and looked around the room, taking in every detail. She was fearful she would never get another chance to come here A small part of her wished she could simply stay here, grow old.

Images of Luke and Leia attacked her mind and she shook her head rapidly. No, she needed to find her babies. Her children were out there somewhere and she needed to find them. She needed them more than anything in the galaxy. Collecting her bag, she lifted her head and walked out of the house without a second glance.

"My Lord, we have located the spy."

Vader nodded, pleased to hear it. _The sooner I capture this scum, the sooner I can get off this damned planet. _"Well? Where is he?"

"Theed, Sir." He paused for a response off Vader but continued when he got none. "Should I send a party of storm troopers to retrieve him?" Vader said nothing still, for he was more focused on a strange presence he was feeling. He hadn't felt this presence since... _No. She's dead. You killed her. _

He blinked rapidly and looked at the captain. "No. I will _retrieve _him myself." He said before turning around and walking off the ship.

Padme was walking down a well known street in Theed when she was suddenly grabbed by the wrist and pulled back. She stumbled slightly and yanked her wrist back, turning around to yell at the person. Her features softened when she saw it was simply an elderly woman. The woman stared at her closely, which un nerved her greatly. Surely she didn't notice who she was... "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth. "Why you're Senator Amidal-"

"No," She said, cutting the woman off mid-word. "No, I simply share and unfortunate resemblance to the late Senator."

"Unfortunate you say?" She repeated sharply.

"Oh no," She said shaking her head. "I mean that the resemblance usually gets me pulled up in the street, mostly by Imperials."

"Oh, I see," The woman replied pressing a hand to her cheek. "I'm terribly sorry for pulling you back. It's just you look so much like her and my eldest daughter is close friends with the Senator's sister..." She trailed off.

Padmé felt like someone had stabbed her in the stomach and was now twisting the knife, but she forced a smile. "I understand." She said softly. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love dearly." She said quietly, her mind wandering to Anakin, Luke and Leia. She blinked back tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. "I must be off." She said offering another smile to the old lady before turning around and walking away.

She lowered her head so no one else would see her. She quickened her pace and let out a sigh of relief when she saw the ship was close. She practically ran to the ship, wanting nothing more than to just lay down. She walked up into the ship and looked around for Drane. "Drane, are you here?" She called.

"In here," He called back. She walked to the back of the ship and into his rather small bedroom. He was laying on the bed when she came in. He noticed that she looked drained, emotionally and physically. He stood up and opened his arms out to her.

She shocked him and herself when she rushed into them. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and she rested her head against his chest. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes.

The moment she did, the ship shook violently and Padmé let out a scream. "Imperials," Drane said before he tossed Padmé to the bed. "Stay there." He told her, getting his gun from its holster. He began to shoot wildly as the stormtroopers began to fill the ship. Padme slid to the floor and felt around for her own gun that fell from its holster when Drane threw her to the bed. She grabbed it from under the bed and managed to stand up, shooting the clones alongside Drane.

Her eyes widened when Vader stepped into the room. She shook her head and continued to shoot at the troopers. Vader lifted his hand and Padmé smashed back against the wall and fell unconscious to the floor. Vader turned to Drane who was now being held by two stormtroopers. "Tell me where the information you stole was sent, scum," He said grabbing him by the front of his tunic.

Drane struggled against the troopers. "Go to hell," He spat.

Vader stared at him hardly before glancing over to where Padmé's unconscious body was. "Perhaps we can get information out of your friend," He said standing over Padmé. He pulled her to face him and stumbled back slightly when he saw her face. _No...she's dead...she can't be alive! _He gazed down at her face and lifted his hand to brush a piece of hair away from her face. His wife, his angel, his life was alive...

"Don't touch her!" Drane yelled, still fighting against the troopers.

Vader shot up and force pushed Drane to the wall and held up with his forearm against his neck. "What is she to you?" He demanded.

"What-what's it to you?" He asked, confusion written all over his face.

"TELL ME NOW!" He roared.

"Jealous?" He asked, a slight smug smile forming on his lips. Vader took a step back and let him crash to the floor.

"You aren't worthy to even look at her!" He spat, using the force to quickly crush Drane's larynx. He took immense joy in watching the light leave his green eyes.

He turned around and picked Padmé up gently and cradled her in his arms. He simply admired her angelic face and brushed his gloved fingers against her soft lips. _You're alive...I can't believe you're alive angel..._ He noticed the growing bruise on her cheek and his eyes widened in horror. _You've just found her and already you've hurt her...again..._

He used the force to un-clip his cloak and covered her with it. He motioned for the remaining troopers to follow him off the ship as he carried his wife to his own ship for medical attention.

_Star destroyer Executor_

Vader sat beside Padmé as the med droid examined her. His fist clenched as he stared down at her face. _I can't believe I've hurt her again. _He thought, cursing himself. _Never again. I won't hurt you again Padmé._ Her eyelids began to flutter and he ordered the med-droid to leave them. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the sudden change in light. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized where she was and who was with her.

"Where am I?" She asked quietly.

"On board my ship," He replied after a few moments.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked at him. "Where's Drane?" She asked, knowing full well what happened to him.

"He is dead,"

She gripped the bed sheets and forced herself not to cry at the lost of her only friend. "He-he was my friend..." She whispered, growing angrier by the second. "He was my friend!" She shouted looking at him, her tears pouring down her cheeks. "He was a good man! An honest ma-"

"_Honest?" _He spat back. "The man is a traitor. He was a double agent. There was nothing honest about that scum." He took a breath and turned away from her. He needed to get his anger under control. He would not lash out at her again. "Padmé, you must understa-"

"How do you know my name?"

He slowly turned around to face her, her question shocking and confusing him. He frowned underneath his mask. Didn't she know who he was? "I..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say to her. Surely she knew... "I am...your husband..." He didn't quite know how she would react but this wasn't what he expected.

Her face had gone slack, her mouth slightly open. All colour had drained from her face as she stared wide-eyed at him. She let out a sudden sigh and opened her mouth to speak. She snapped it shut. Then with a little more success she whispered, "You're lying..."It came out raspy, barely audible.

"Padmé listen to me," He said taking a step towards her. "It's me under this mask, I swear it."

"No!" She shouted, moving away from him. "You are not my husband! He was killed four years ago!" He was taken back by the raw pain in her eyes and voice. "He's _dead._" She spat.

"Angel..." He was at a complete loss for what to do. Clearly, she had been through a lot in the past four years, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her but she simply couldn't -wouldn't- believe him. "We...we were married on Naboo," He told her, hoping she would believe him.

She only shook her head, her hand over her mouth as though she was trying to muffle a sob. "We were married where we had our first kiss," He continued. "On our wedding night you came out in nothing but the japor snippet I made you when we were children," Her hand slid down to the japor snippet that was around her neck. "And I told you that you were the most beautiful thing in the universe." He remembered that day as though it was yesterday. It was the happiest moment of his existence, he knew that he would never forget it as long as he lived. _  
_

She said nothing for a few minutes, as she tried to gather her thoughts. She looked down at her japor snippet and closed her eyes. She didn't want to believe what he was telling her, but a small part of her deep down was whispering that he _was _Anakin. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "Anakin..." She whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I was told you died..."

"I was told you died by my hand,"

"You nearly did kill me..." She said quietly, looking down slightly.

"I've regretted what I did every waking moment for the past four years," He told her, meaning every word. She looked back up at him but then quickly turned around, unable to look at him any longer. He swallowed the lump that was in his throat and closed his eyes. "What of the child?" He asked, scared of the answer she would give. "Where is she?"

Padmé wrapped her arms around herself and closed her own eyes. "Gone." She whispered.

**_Authors note: So this is going to be the last chapter from me for a little while. I'm moving in two weeks and I have to focus all my attention on finishing my school work because this is an important year for me. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed on the last chapter :)_**


End file.
